Bodinet: Three Brothers from the Saarland

John and Maria (Stoehr) Bodinet lived in a small city, Dillingen, located today in southern Rhineland, Germany near the French and Luxemburg border. They married November 11, 1860. They have nine children: three sons and six daughters. Five of the six daughters die at very young ages. The sons all immigrate to America between 1885 and 1903.

Immigration

WESTERNLAND 1883
The WESTERNLAND was built by Laird Bros at Birkenhead in 1883 for the Red Star Line of Antwerp and was built in a drydock as opposed to a slipway and was floated out on completion on the 4th August, 1883. She had a straight stem, two funnels, four masts, single screw and a speed of 14 knots. She was 5736 gross tons, length 440ft x beam 47.2ft and had accommodation for 80-1st, 60-2nd, and 1,200-3rd class passengers. She sailed under the Belgian flag on her maiden voyage from Antwerp to New York on the 3rd November, 1883 and stayed on this service until 1901 when she was transferred to the American Line and altered to carry 170-2nd and 1,200-3rd class passengers. She sailed on her first trip under the US flag from Liverpool to Philadelphia in May 1901. In 1906 she resumed service for Red Star Line's Antwerp - NY service for three round voyages and then went back to the American Line and made her last trip for them from Liverpool - Philadelphia in September 1908. She was scrapped in 1912. [North Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P.Bonsor, vol.2,p.852]

The steamship SS Vaderland was built at the Clydebank Engineering & Shipbuilding Company's Clydebank Shipyard, in 1900. As she came into service, the yard had been taken over by John Brown & Company

Along with her sister ship Zeeland, the 12,000-ton Vaderland was built for the International Navigation Company and allocated to the Red Star Line flying the British flag. In 1903 she was registered at Antwerp and flew the Belgian flag. Sailing on the Antwerp-New York route, she carried many emigrants to America.

When Belgium was overrun by the Germans in the August 1914, Vaderland was transferred to the White Star Line. In 1915 she was renamed Southland as the Dutch name "Vaderland" was considered too similar to the German "Vaterland". She was then used as a troopship in the Mediterranean, where she survived being torpedoed. Returning to the Atlantic, she was less fortunate on 4 June 1917, when she was hit by two torpedoes from U-70 off the coast of Ireland and sank with the loss of four lives.

    The timeframe for this family is around the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. The Second Reich of the German Empire is gaining momentum as a major power in Europe under the direction of the Kaiser. Prussian militarism may be the primary reason for young men to emigrate - to avoid military service.
     John, the eldest, and born in 1861, immigrates in 1877 at age of 16.   His younger brother Ambrose, born in 1865, also immigrates at age 16. And finally, Victor, born in 1873, immigrates at age 30, to America. John and Ambrose arrive unmarried and traveling alone. Victor arrives with Carolina Bodinet (age 22) and Oldelheit (age 1year & 6 months). Although the ships manifest declares Carolina as single, she is Victor's wife, and Oldelheit, his daughter.
     John comes to Chicago in 1877, Ambrose follows him in 1882 and Victor joins them in 1903. They take up residence on Chicago's south side around 5200 South Laflin Avenue. Early Chicago Directories show John employed in a meat market, Ambrose as a laborer and Victor as a painter.
     John marries first in 1886 to Anna Kaspar. Anna had arrived in America in 1886. One might suspect with her marriage so close to her arrival in America that the marriage might have been prearranged. Ambrose follows and marries her sister, Mary Kaspar, in 1891. Mary arrived in America in 1889.   They are the daughters of Matthias and Barbara (Meier) Kaspar. They do not immigrate to America. Victor marries Caroline Leis in Germany before 1903. Most of the data below is taken from the archives of St. Augustine Church.

Mary and Ambrose Bodinet with their family ~ 1910

Nicholas is standing left of Mary and Peter and Anna to her right, John to Ambrose's right

   According to the 1900 census and St. Augustine records, John and Anna have nine children: Edward (1886-1967), Barbara (1888-????), Mary (1890-????), Anna (1892-????), Jacob (1894-1894), Catherine (1897-1966), John (1900-1937), Clara (1903-1905), and Rose (1905-????)
     According to the records at St Augustine and census data, Ambrose and Mary (my great grandparents) have eight children: John (1893-1895?), Peter (1893-1947)(my grandfather), John (1896-1967), Nicholas (1898-1960), Anna (1900-????), Barbara (1905-1906), Edward (1908-1913) and Gertrude (1914-1918). As can be seen, only four live to adulthood. Ambrose gains employment as a laborer at the stockyards. Little can be determined from the Chicago directories for his residences prior to 1900, but per his naturalization certificate of 1892, he resided at 5144 Laflin, a half block north of John and his family. This was probably his residence after he married in 1891. The directories do list an Andrew living at 5217 and 5219 in 1894 and 1897 which may be Ambrose. He is not detailed in the Illinois census of 1900, but thanks to June Bodinet's (Harold's wife) hard work, she located him in Indiana. Again, in 1901 he is at 5219 Laflin, and in 1902/3, at 5217 Laflin with John.
     Victor and Caroline have at least five children, Adeline (Oldelheit?) (1901-1969) and Mary (1904-????), Madelyn, Elsie and Wesley.
      Both John and Ambrose become naturalized US citizens on October 15th 1892 in Cook County. I have no information on Victor's naturalization.

     John Bodinet dies in 1907. Anna dies in 1942.

     Ambrose dies in 1949. Mary dies in 1932.

     Victor dies in 1938, and Caroline in 1968.

     Almost all the burials are in St Mary's Cemetery, Chicago. Victor, his wife Caroline, Adeline and spouse are buried in Bethania on Archer Avenue.

Johann Bodinet (September 8th, 1861 - March 6th, 1907) Ambrose Bodinet (1865 - 1949). Possibly brothers who resided on the south side of Chicago. These dates are from gravestones in St Mary's Cemetery. Their stones are collocated. All the following data is from the Chicago directories.

Other stones viewed: Peter J. Bodinet - 'Illinois PVT 56 Infantry 7 Div Nov 17, 1893 June 23, 1947' (53)

1894 - Andrew and John Bodinet of 5217 Laflin first listed in the 1894 Chicago directory. Andrew lived in the rear, as a laborer, and John was a meat market owner(?).

1897 - Andrew is listed at 5219 Laflin, butcher, John still at 5217, meat market.

1901 - Ambrose (laborer) listed in 1901 at 5219, John at 5217. Same for 1902. First listing for Ambrose.

1908 (Johann dies in 1907 - gravestone), Anna (spouse of Johann) at 5217, Miss Barbara (clerk), Edward (butcher) also with Anna. John (painter?) at 5031 Justine.

1913 - Andrew (laborer) at 5038 Paulina. Anna at 5217, Edward (butcher) at 5219.

1914 - Ambrosia (caser), John (janitor), Nicholas (clerk) and Peter (21) (plater) at 5220, Anna at 5217 with Edward (clerk). This is the first entry for Nicholas, John and Peter. Victor (painter) now at 3921 W 66th

1915 - Ambrosia, John, Nic and Peter the same, at 5220. Anna at 5217. Edward (meat cutter) now at 5357 Marshfield. Victor (painter) same as 1914.

1923 - Ambrose at 5217 along with Edward (grocer). Anna, Catherine (daughter) and John (machinist) at 5219. John J a bench hand at 6519 Marshfield. Nicholas (automech) at 5150 S Bishop. . Victor (painter) at 4538 Wallace. Peter (Mech) and Anna at 5818 South Line

Three Brothers from Saarland

The Bodinets - Johann, Ambrose and Victor)

Immigration